Thirty-Six Rājayoga Gemstones

carnelianThe Agni Purāṇa recommends thirty-six gemstones for activation of rājayoga for the kings. I guess ordinary mortals can also make good use of these recommendations. The Sanskrit recommendation and our translation is given below.

वज्रं मरकतं रत्नं पद्मरागं च मोक्तिकम्॥
vajraṁ marakataṁ ratnaṁ padmarāgaṁ ca mouktikam||
(1) Diamond (2) Emerald (3) Ruby (4) Pearl

इन्द्रनीलं महानीलं वैदूर्यं गन्धशस्यकम्।
indranīlaṁ mahānīlaṁ vaidūryaṁ gandhaśasyakam|
(5) Aquamarine (6) Blue Sapphire (7) Vaidūrya [Scapolite?]

चन्द्राकान्तं सूर्यकान्तं स्फटिकं पुलकं तथा॥
candrākāntaṁ sūryakāntaṁ sphaṭikaṁ pulakaṁ tathā||
(8) Moonstone (9) Sunstone (10) Sapphire Crystal (11) Pulaka [green tourmaline]

कर्केतनं पुष्परागं तथा ज्योतिरसं द्विज।
karketanaṁ puṣparāgaṁ tathā jyotirasaṁ dvija|
(12) Quartz (13) Yellow Sapphire (14) star-gems [star-ruby etc.]

स्फटिकं राजपट्टं च तथा राजमयं शुभम्॥
sphaṭikaṁ rājapaṭṭaṁ ca tathā rājamayaṁ śubham||
(15) Sapphire Crystal (16) rājapaṭṭa [natural diamond] (17) rājamaya

सौगन्धिकं तथा गञ्जं सङ्खब्रह्ममयं तथा।
saugandhikaṁ tathā gañjaṁ saṅkhabrahmamayaṁ tathā|
(18) Sulphur [Golden Topaz] (19) gañja (20) Conch-Shell

गोमेदं रुधिराक्षं च तथा भल्लातकं द्विज॥
gomedaṁ rudhirākṣaṁ ca tathā bhallātakaṁ dvija||
(21) Gomeda [Dolomite, Hessonite – 4 sorts , white , pale yellow , red , and dark blue] (22) rudhirākṣa [like rudrākṣa -] (23) Marking-nut [Rhodolite Garnet or similar reddish gemstone]

धूलिं मरकतं चैव तुत्थकं सीसमेव च।
dhūliṁ marakataṁ caiva tutthakaṁ sīsameva ca|
(24) copper nitrate (25) Emerald (26) Blue vitriol (27) lead

पीलुं प्रवालकं चैव गिरिवज्रं द्विजोत्तम॥
pīluṁ pravālakaṁ caiva girivajraṁ dvijottama||
(28) Ivory (29) Coral (30) mountain-diamond ?

भुजङ्गमणिं चैव तथा वज्रमणिं शुभं।
bhujaṅgamaṇiṁ caiva tathā vajramaṇiṁ śubhaṁ|
(31) nāga-maṇi [snake-gem] (32) diamond-like gemstone

टिट्टिभं च तथा पिण्डं ब्रामरं च तथोत्पलम्॥
ṭiṭṭibhaṁ ca tathā piṇḍaṁ brāmaraṁ ca tathotpalam||
(33) Rhodochrosite (34) Pyrite (35) Black onyx [black pearl] (36) Amethyst

Vaidūrya Correction

Normally Used but Wrong gemstone. This is not Vaidurya
Normally Used but Wrong gemstone. This is not Vaidurya

It is very interesting to note that ‘vaidūrya’ which was suspected to be cat’s eye gemstone by astrologers for such a long time seems to be quite different. Vedavyāsa specifically uses the word ‘nīla-rakta’ indicating that it is bluish-red in colour. Cat’s-Eye is a feature that can apply to many gemstones including Cat’s Eye Apatite, Cat’s Eye Aquamarine, Cat’s Eye Diaspore, Cat’s Eye Scapolite, Cat’s Eye Tourmaline. Cat’s-Eye simply means a line of light that tilts with the stone. Don’t get carried away with that. What we are looking for is a gemstone which has the blue and red colours blended together.

Application

These thirty-six gemstones are recommended based on the 36 drekkāṇa. For many thousand years the Indians, Persians and the Egyptians have used the drekkāṇa for timing political events and it is evident that this recommendation could be on these lines.

10 thoughts on “Thirty-Six Rājayoga Gemstones

  1. Vaidūrya is actually bloodstone.
    Interestingly, the name is still the same. How come the astrologers overlooked this!

  2. Sanjay Ji,
    I’ve been told to wear 3 carrot Emerald on my little finger. Could you be kind to let me know where in India can I get a real Emerald? Many Thanks Lakshmi

  3. Sanjay Ji, Great reference and thank you for unearthing it. One have to wear all 36 or based on D-36?. I wonder how many of these 36 are available in this day & age.

    -Kumar

      1. Dear sir,
        Kindly expalain more how to find rajayoga drekkana….arudha…how to find it…or telling your book name to find the rajyoga drekkana..I am aqurious lagna and my drekkana is budh,sukra and sani…how I find one gemstone from rajyoga drekkana…..kindly give some clue….and what ant sanskrit recommendation how to use it…

  4. Dear Sanjay as u said there are 36 gemstone mentioned in classics. İ know main ratnas and uparatnas . İ wanna ask when thé pyrites can bu used and black Onyx etc.i mean what is the main differences between ratnas and these stones. .

    1. These selection given in the agni purana are for activation of rajayoga. they can be wore like a necklace unlike Ratna which have to be worn like a ring …there is much more. later

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